Whisper
by Delphi
Summary: The death of Laharl's mother is told to the beat of Evanescence's "Whisper." Spoilers ahead. Please read and review!


Title: Whisper   
  
Rating: PG-13 for dark themes and, oh yeah, death.   
  
Spoiler Warning?: Yep; we have spoilers for Chapter 8.   
  
Brief Summary: The death of Laharl's mother to the beat of Evanescence's "Whisper."   
  
Feedback: Feedback is wanted; please feed the Prinny, dood.   
  
~*~   
  
  
_Catch me as I fall   
Say you're here and it's all over now   
Speaking to the atmosphere   
No one's here and I fall into myself_   
  
  
A child lay in his bed, sweat trickling down his face. Even slumbering, the blue-haired child was obviously in agony. If his red eyes had been open, they would reflect the pain his illness had put him in. It was worse than any human could bear; a demon could probably be able to bear it, but being half-human his illness was that much more painful.   
  
The white-dressed lady next to him bent down slightly and wiped some of the sweat from his forehead. At his mother's comforting gesture, even in his sleep when he couldn't see it or really feel it, Laharl relaxed just a little. Her dark brown eyes gazed at him – the future Overlord, the successor to his father's throne. A tear slipped down her cheek and she wiped it away.   
  
This would be the last time she saw him, and she knew it.   
  
  
_This truth drives me into madness   
I know I can stop the pain if I will it all away   
If I will it all away_   
  
  
She knew she would never see her son again. As she sat at his side and mulled over her impending death, her mind raced back to the words that the hospital caretaker, Miran, had said to her two days ago:   
  
_"The only thing that can cure his illness is the life of one who loves him."_   
  
She had made numerous attempts on her life ever since she had heard the news, always making sure that both Laharl and Krichevskoy were as far away as possible...and always, always her husband would find her and stop her. He was just as distressed as she was, and it showed in his dark violet-crimson eyes. He had heard the news from Miran, he knew the heavy price that curing his son's illness would be. Yet he was selfish; he wouldn't allow it to happen. He wanted them both to live. He said each day that he would find someone who cared about him that would die for him, someone who wasn't her...   
  
But Laharl didn't have enough time for the search to be completed. The search would take days or months.   
  
Laharl didn't have days or months.   
  
  
_Don't turn away   
(Don't give in to the pain)   
Don't try to hide   
(Though they're screaming your name)   
Don't close your eyes   
(God knows what lies behind them)   
Don't turn out the light   
(Never sleep, never die)_   
  
  
Oh, she was upset by what she had to do - no doubts about it. She really didn't want to leave her son and her husband behind. She loved them both very much, and she knew they would be saddened by her leaving. Krichevskoy was a demon, but - just as she had thought - he knew what love was. That was why he didn't want her to die, after all. Laharl, too. He was a child, a very mean-spirited one at times, but a child nonetheless. She would teach him to be a good person, and at times he really was kinder than one would think a future Overlord would be.   
  
It was for his sake that she had to die - had to. This kind child of hers didn't have much longer to live; Krichevskoy would have done what she was to do except that he had told his vassals, and they didn't want him to die. In the end, his vassals had convinced him to ask around, see if there was anyone who cared about his son enough to give their life.   
  
How horrified he was when his wife was the first to volunteer!   
  
  
_I'm frightened by what I see   
But somehow I know that there's much more to come   
Immobilized by my fear   
And soon to be blinded by tears_   
  
  
_"No! No, you cannot do this!"_ Something to that effect was what she heard when she spoke her wish to Krichevskoy. A look of mixed horror and anger was on his face, and his dark eyes glowed like embers. He didn't want her to die, he didn't know that it was the only way. She had known he wouldn't support her choice, so she tried to take her life in secret. No such luck; some vassal always found her, or Krichevskoy himself. How angry he was whenever he heard about this, or saw it! He did everything he could to stop her, and she knew it was because he didn't want her to die. He believed that the search would succeed...   
  
He believed that Laharl had more time than he really did - and they called her naïve!   
  
  
_I know I can stop the pain if I will it all away   
If I will it all away...   
Don't turn away   
(Don't give in to the pain)   
Don't try to hide   
(Though they're screaming your name)   
Don't close your eyes   
(God knows what lies behind them)   
Don't turn out the light   
(Never sleep, never die)_   
  
  
She shook herself out of her recollections and smiled at her sleeping son. In just a few moments he would be cured again...it would hurt him terribly to know what she had done, but he would get over it. They all would eventually...she knew what pain she was going to cause, and yet it was the only way. Laharl didn't have much time left.   
  
No, not much at all, she mused, looking at her hand. Laharl's forehead was almost as cold as ice...there was less time left than she had imagined. It was a good thing she had put a powerful sleeping spell on everyone in the castle earlier; if she didn't act now, Laharl would die when the sun rose.   
  
  
_Fallen angels at my feet   
Whispered voices at my ear   
Death before my eyes   
Lying next to me I fear   
She beckons me shall I give in?   
Upon my end shall I begin?_   
  
  
Her dark brown eyes looked ahead blankly as she pulled a dagger from her side. The moonlight shone palely through the window onto the floor, onto her child's hair, and glittered like tears on her dagger.   
  
It was time; the sleep spell would wear off soon, so she had to act fast. "Forgive me, Krichevskoy...forgive me, Laharl...forgive me, everyone," she whispered. It was her final prayer to whomever was listening.   
  
Swiftly, she raised the glittering dagger and plunged it into her heart.   
  
  
_Forsaking all I've fallen for   
I rise to meet my end_   
  
  
The world spun before her eyes and she sank to the ground, the hilt of the dagger still clutched in her hands, the blade still embedded in her chest. Morbidly, she looked down to see - blood. Crimson soaked the fabric above her skin and now ran on the ground. She could no longer see clearly, the world was darkening before her eyes - she couldn't see. 'So this is death,' she thought, eyes fluttering shut.   
  
Her hearing hadn't failed her yet; she could hear anxious footsteps outside, running down the corridor to the room. Krichevskoy was too late this time, because she was already dying. She felt so lightheaded now...   
  
The last thing she heard was a horrified cry of "NO!" Then she exhaled her last breath, and was gone.   
  
  
_Don't turn away   
(Don't give in to the pain)   
Don't try to hide   
(Though they're screaming your name)   
Don't close your eyes   
(God knows what lies behind them)   
Don't turn out the light   
(Never sleep, never die)..._   
  
  
-fin 


End file.
